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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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08-20-2011, 11:07 AM | #1 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-31-11
Location: Montréal, Québec
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First smoke, temp problems, need help.
I am trying to smoke my first ribs today on the kettle but the temp won't settle down. Using Landarc's posts, I filled my two charcoal baskets with unlit lump on one side and put 10 pieces of lit one on it. Top vents wide open, bottom vents, almost closed. The temp climbed slowly, I was waiting for it to settle but it never did. It just went straight passed 300F. I opened the lid lots of charcoal was lit now. I took some out, replaced with unlit charcoal, went back over 300F. Now I just choked it down so that it would get a bit cooler and because I was pi**ed.
So any advice on getting about 250F on it, the meat is still sitting in the fridge waiting for the good moment to jump in. Thanks!
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Weber One-Touch Gold 22.5", Red Thermapen |
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08-20-2011, 11:11 AM | #2 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 02-07-10
Location: Tequesta, Florida
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Partice, I had the same problem so now I only use one basket. I choke the lower and try to leave top open but sometimes I have to shut that down just a little.
Are you going by the temp on the lid? sometimes that reads higher then the grate. I also put a can of water somewhere on the grate.
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Judge Jim, Given to me by Terry @ Git R Smoked. Chef Jim, Gym, Jim, or CJ. [B][COLOR=Black] I'm not a Chef, but I play one on the internet.[/COLOR][/B] [URL]http://www.chef-jim.com[/URL] [FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3][FONT=Tahoma]A veteran is Someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." That is honor, and there are far too many people in this country who no longer understand it. Author unknown.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT] [COLOR=Red][COLOR=Black] [/COLOR][/COLOR] |
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08-20-2011, 11:17 AM | #3 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-31-11
Location: Montréal, Québec
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I have a probe at grill level and I just thought about adding a water pan.
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Weber One-Touch Gold 22.5", Red Thermapen |
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08-20-2011, 11:18 AM | #4 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 12-16-07
Location: south central,ky.
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that works.
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Blues_n_Cues BBQ Concessions & Catering |
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08-20-2011, 12:48 PM | #5 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-31-11
Location: Montréal, Québec
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I got my temp to stabilize at 262F but when I opened the lid to put the meat on, it fed too much air to the fire and climbed to 280F. I had to close the bottom vent and at least half the top vent to get it down. But eventually, the temp starts falling because I'm probably killing the fire that way. Which brings me to my two questions.
1. Is it okay to totally close and slightly open the bottom vent intermittently (close when going too high, open when going too low not to kill the fire.) or is this asking for trouble? For now, the smoke has always been nice, pretty much invisible, slight blue smoke at times. 2. Is it possible that the bottom vent isn't that air tight and that enough air can get in even if I close it completely?
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Weber One-Touch Gold 22.5", Red Thermapen |
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Thanks from:---> |
08-20-2011, 12:58 PM | #6 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 10-06-10
Location: Austin, TX
Name/Nickname : Roger
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Why not just do hot and fast at whatever temp the kettle settles into?
You get more sleep with better results IMO (shorter cook times = less chance for a dry result).
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22.5" WSM nicknamed Fuel Hog! Rescued 22.5" OTS. 18.5" OTS. SJS Mini-WSM. Building UDS ver 2.0. HEB briqs (rebranded Royal Oak). Pecan/Hickory/Cherry/Apple/Peach woods. 2016 Fuji Absolute 2.0 LE (for burning off all the great BBQ) |
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08-20-2011, 02:21 PM | #7 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-31-11
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Honestly, because I want to try smoking low and slow on my kettle. I know it could turn out good either way but that's just not what I'm trying to do. I finally got the kettle to settle around 250 anyway. Well, as long as I play with it regularly.
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Weber One-Touch Gold 22.5", Red Thermapen |
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08-20-2011, 07:40 PM | #8 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 02-07-10
Location: Tequesta, Florida
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It just takes a little time to figure out your kettle, and just when you think you got it. Well you can guess what happens.
How did the ribs come out?
__________________
Judge Jim, Given to me by Terry @ Git R Smoked. Chef Jim, Gym, Jim, or CJ. [B][COLOR=Black] I'm not a Chef, but I play one on the internet.[/COLOR][/B] [URL]http://www.chef-jim.com[/URL] [FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3][FONT=Tahoma]A veteran is Someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." That is honor, and there are far too many people in this country who no longer understand it. Author unknown.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT] [COLOR=Red][COLOR=Black] [/COLOR][/COLOR] |
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08-20-2011, 08:23 PM | #9 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 06-20-11
Location: pratt, KS
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When i did a butt here recently i had to use a thermo through my lid hole. Your setup in a kettle near the lid will always read considerably higher. I hahad my top vent squezed down onto the stem of the thermo- not much of a gap there. The bottom i had about 3/4s closed and more sometimes, slight adjustments on my top vent, varied the temp quit a bit. My thermo through my dome read 300-350 think grate level was more like 275. 8 lb but took just over 8 hours, came out wonderful. Dont sweat those kinds of temps too much. meat will cook a little faster but will be just fine.
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Weber performer, Smokey joe, Weber go anywhere. Mini-wsm, WSM-Soon |
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08-20-2011, 11:06 PM | #10 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 04-22-10
Location: NEW ENGLAND
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smoking on a kettle takes a bit of practice. but you'll get the curve after a couple times.
it'll start out slow and low when you first put the lit coals on. go ahead and put your meat on. then, once the unlit catch itll climb quickly. maybe 2 hours in? shut the bottom vents to slivers and the top @ 1/2. still climbing? close the bottoms down. once the fire quiets down inside you can re-open the top all the way crack the bottoms to slivers again, maybe 1/2 hour? sorry i missed your question during the cook.
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[SIZE="3"][B][COLOR="Blue"][I][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][/FONT]"YAWN"[/I][/COLOR][/B][/SIZE]-[COLOR="Red"][SIZE="2"]In memory of a friend.[/SIZE][/COLOR] avatar by grillman. patent pending. :mad2::becky: |
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08-20-2011, 11:18 PM | #11 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 11-18-10
Location: USA
Name/Nickname : Rick
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Why not use briquettes instead of lump? When I do ribs on my kettle that's what I use and I get better temp control using the minion method. Also lump burns hotter than briquettes.
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Rick |
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08-20-2011, 11:33 PM | #12 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 06-21-06
Location: Lawrence, Kansas - The Great American Outback
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I also use lump when going low and slow on the kettle. Works great. I also use a stainless steel cookie sheet that I bought at a yard sale for $.50 as a heat deflector / shield thingy. I bought another, larger one (also at a yard sale, also $.50) that I use on the UDS as a deflector shield, resting on top of the expanded metal firebox.
Normally on the kettle I run wide open on the bottom and choke it down using the top vents. The lowest I've been able to go on the kettle is 244F - but it ran for over 10 hours with almost no variance in temperature. By the way - how's the wind up there in Montréal, Québec? Any wind above 5mph or so can really mess with your setup. Also, excellent choice to delay putting the meat on until you KNOW you have the temperature under control. No use wasting meat when you know your target is far below where you are.
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We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it. - Abraham Lincoln ------- One Moocow UDS! (Thanks, Shane!) http://www.moocowbbq.com/ Two Weber 22.5" kettles One Brinkmann Smoke'N PitMaster Deluxe One LARGE WSM! (special black glossy finish) w/Stoker! WooHoo! KCBS Member/KCBS Master CBJ #24295 Sweaty, smokey and enjoying every minute. |
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08-21-2011, 12:59 AM | #13 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 04-26-11
Location: Vinita, OK
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low and slow on a kettle is a hard thing to harness.... you can really get a medium type heat... I use my kettle all the time to smoke ribs and chicken when I am doing a small cook just work with it and you will become accustomed to how it goes..... Smoke on Brother!!
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08-21-2011, 09:39 PM | #14 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-31-11
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Honestly, I thought about using briquettes but I just like the aroma and taste of lump better. Especially since I had sugar maple lump which I thought would be a nice mix with the cherry wood chunk. I might try briquettes on my next smoke but I'm not sure yet. Is there a BIG difference in temp control and burn time?
__________________
Weber One-Touch Gold 22.5", Red Thermapen |
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08-22-2011, 12:23 AM | #15 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 01-09-11
Location: Grosse Pointe Woods MI
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I seriously think your over thinking it, Whenever you open the lid its gonna spike for a few no biggie if its rolling to hot back off on your air supply. We all suffer with this at one time or another but i dont think there is any one " special " setting for one of these they are all special in there own little way good luck and keep at it you will get it.
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